Betrayal. Magic. Freedom. Erynn and her friends have dethroned their terrible master Sebastian, leaving his soul to suffer and fade into oblivion. When Sebastian reaches out from beyond the grave to destroy them, Erynn must face her fear of becoming just like the man who made her into a monster with a clockwork heart. WITCH is the second story in the Clockwork Heart Tales series.

Time travel. Love. Magic. Little Charlie Nobody fights to survive on dangerous streets. No one cares whether he lives or dies—and he comes close to dying more than once. Each time he hovers between life and death, he not only sees the future, he enters it. He doesn’t understand how it happens, only that it feels real. And that it must be some kind of magic that makes it possible.

A mystery girl appears in the midst of a winter thunderstorm, seeking a witch to break a terrible curse: the girl has accidentally destroyed the Realm of Faery. Seventeen-year-old Stacy might be able to save both Faery and the girl, but magic leads her to a heartbreaking choice.
An impossible problem. A heroine with the courage and heart to take on the challenge. Enter the magic. Read PHOENIX.

Love. Murder. A deal with the devil.
In a world where dark enchantment endangers every soul and, for the right price, anyone can live forever, Erynn must risk all to follow her clockwork heart.
"Heart" is the first story in the Clockwork Heart Tales. To enter the magic, read "Heart."

Death. Resurrection. Hope. Beth died at seventeen while helping to save the world. She doesn't remember the details, but she hasn't been the same since. When the supernatural creature who killed her hunts her down once again, Beth must face the mystery of her death head-on. If she can’t solve the puzzle of her hidden memory, she may lose something infinitely more valuable than her life.

In the pages of these magical tales from The Faery Chronicles, enter the dangerously beautiful realm of Faery, the insidious charm of Hell, and the fiery vault of Heaven. Join the characters of The Faery Chronicles as they fight to save those they love, their worlds, and themselves. Includes Silver Dust, When Gods Hunger, Lightning in a Bottle, Taste of Ashes, and All the Words in All the Worlds.

Sink into this volume of stories from The Faery Chronicles, fraught with wild danger, love, and joy. Meet the characters of The Faery Chronicles on their own terms: The notorious serpent from the Garden of Eden, cursed into human form, whose magic can heal or kill. The rock’n’roll singer whose siren voice doomed her. The wise-cracking girl whose curiosity makes her a god's target.

Beth embraces her new, immortal life and forever job as apprentice to Malek, the serpent from the Garden of Eden cursed into human form. When she takes a short cut with her new magic, she finds herself in Hell—or a hell, anyway. She comes under the watchful gaze of a new enemy—a power of Biblical proportions who offers Beth the chance to buy the one thing she longs for most: a true home.

When Chris Garcia reads the magical morning Metro section of the newspaper, one and only one article stands out: a girl named Alice must find something precious she’s lost before nightfall or go to Hell. Chris figures his newfound magical skill of finding the lost will save her. Instead, he walks straight into a trap.

A cure for a terrible curse cost Silver her memory and sent her into in hiding with a price on her head and powerful enemies. But when her one and only friend in all the worlds disappears while trying to help her find a way home, she must come out of the shadows to save him. She must face the danger and the unknown lurking in the Human and Faery realms—and in her own strange heart and soul.

Someone kills a woman in the alley behind Snake Bite Tattoo—a clear declaration of war against its dangerous proprietor, Malek, the serpent from the Garden of Eden made an immortal man. If he can work a spell in time to bring the woman back to temporary life, she can tell him who murdered her and why. He’ll track them down and make they pay. But her death is not what it seems.

A mystery girl appears in the midst of a winter thunderstorm, seeking a witch to break a terrible curse. The problem: banishment from the Faery Realm. The witch: seventeen-year-old Stacy, young to the Craft but rich in power and reputation thanks to her hand in thwarting the last apocalypse. The catch: helping the girl leads to certain death.

Malek—the serpent from the Garden of Eden—counts himself among the local gods. The last time he rode with the others under the moonlight, his one and only apprentice died a terrible death. So when the invitation for the next midnight ride arrives on his doorstep, he refuses. Until a human girl he cares about becomes the gods’ target. He may be her only chance to survive.

Former femme fatale Alice thought she had it made. No more fairies. No more magic. But just when she thought she'd gotten out, the Otherworld pulls her back in--into a double-crossing, twisted tale of kidnapping and vengeful rivals. She'll need all her wits to survive. She'll need heart, too. Too bad she doesn't have one.

Jen managed to save herself from a terrible life on the streets. To survive she had to leave friends behind--leave them in danger of losing their lives or their souls. She forces the memories from her mind, but can't erase them from her heart. Then a stranger makes her an offer she should refuse. What kind of magic could make Jen believe she can save those she loves?

Moms with psychic powers and Dads who enforce the law rule with absolute authority. Disobey and be thrown away into the deadly shadowland. Di’s obedience crumbles the night the Dads throw away her best friend. She chooses to step into the shadow. She expects to die. Instead she finds others like her, a chance for love, and the chance to remake the world—if she has the courage to try.

Rude Diamond Davies III thinks he knows everything that goes down at his high school. In his extracurricular line of work as a Faery seer's apprentice, not knowing could get him dead. But when a strange girl turns up needing his help—and when that help involves falling in love—his world turns upside down. A story set in the Hunt universe. With bonus story "Snakebite."

A Faery curse turns Night into a monster destined to kill and devour all who venture into his haunted forest. Allie—the only person who has ever been able to touch his human heart—tries to help him over and over again with terrible consequences. If she can't find a way to save him, both of them will be lost forever. With bonus story "Bones."

Throwaway Scott Mitchell fears he will die in the wilderness without a single friend, hunted and alone. But when a mysterious girl rescues him, he finally understands what kind of trouble finding a friend could get him into. A story set in the Shadowland universe.

Gage backpacks across the country in the wake of his wife's death—until he awakens chained to an apple tree in the middle of nowhere. It doesn't take long for him to understand that he's trapped in the shade of a magical tree. Or that the tree aims to take his soul. But if he has to die—to give up his life for love—he wants more than anything to make it count. With bonus story "Invocation."

Five fairy tales twisted by the demons of the human—and not so human—soul. Be careful what you wish for and whom you trust. Includes Snow for Flowers, Time and Memory, Outcast, Treasure, and Your Blood.

Leigh and her husband Jason signed on to fight a war without end. When Jason gives his life for the cause, Leigh loses herself. She must discover who she has become -- and who the enemy truly is. With bonus story "Fortunate Brave."

All tattoos run more than skin deep, but the tattoos Malek inks become soul-deep magic. The power and danger in his needles—and his blood—call to those desperate for his help. Too bad some of them refuse to learn the most important lesson he can offer: Never double-cross a god. Snakebite: a story set in the Hunt universe.

Shel's grandfather couldn’t keep his big mouth shut. That unfortunate character trait got the old man murdered. But plenty of people hated him for far worse reasons. Shel still despises him for what he did to people she loves—and because his ghost haunts her. She’ll find a way to get rid of him for good—by hook, crook, or magic. With bonus story "The Apple King."

A short story sixpack - six tales of life, death, and the road less traveled. Includes As the Crow Flies, Max Velocity, Fortunate Brave, Offerings, The Devil Wears Combat Boots, and The Truth According to Margot Williams.

Hatch knows fraternity parties, intermittent studying, and life inside a bloody horror novel. What he doesn’t know—how to escape a pirate bent on revenge—could kill him. When the pirate strikes, Hatch breaks through a wall—and out of his book—into a paranormal romance with the enemy hot on his trail. He hopes the tough girl detective he falls for can save him. And that he can save her.

Marlena went to the party looking for pain. She found it in spades--the wrong kind, from the wrong man. Her screams capture the attention of the right man--the one with the dark, mysterious past. He can't resist her charms and she doesn't want him to. The problem? The objects of his desire end up dead.

When troops die faster than they can be replaced, the military raises its veterans from the dead—including Evie’s grandfather. Evie copes with his sudden appearance and departure, but her grandfather’s return drives Evie’s mother to the edge of sanity. Evie will find a way to help and die—or kill—trying. With bonus story "Blacktop."

Fan should’ve known better, but desire overrode common sense and she ended up pregnant. Breeding. The worst word in the world, because of what it means. Forcible capture. Registration. Planting. Harvesting. Death. She prays that her beloved Denny will rescue her. When he does, she finally understands the meaning of another word. Helpless. With bonus story "The Devil Wears Combat Boots."

Hank barely balances school, friends, and family with his part-time night gig as a Grim Reaper—until a murder hurtles him and his best friend Lucy into all-out war between Bright and Dark angels. Forced to take sides, they choose the only one they can—their own. Only they can save the world's souls.

Griff broke the law and missed his own wedding on account of getting caught. To add insult to injury, his bride-to-be married a better prospect and hopped the final transport off-planet, leaving Griff to his immediate punishment and worse—a lifetime trapped on a used-up world. What kind of future could a would-be adventurer like himself conjure from dust, dreams, and beer?

Addie pays quick cash for cursed objects. That's how she makes the innocent safe--and how she atones every single day for the terrible bargain she made as a young, abused girl on the street. She never speaks of the vile price she paid for freedom or the crime she committed--until the victim strolls through the door of her shop carrying the worst curse of all. With bonus story "Outcast."

Blue Devers smuggles women out of abusive relationships. He procures new identities and new lives, no questions asked—until one of the women winds up dead at the base of an Oregon coast cliff. The cops will call it suicide, but Blue knows Tamara MacDougall would never have jumped. He’ll find her killer. He owes her that. But he doesn’t expect the nasty turn the investigation takes.

After John Johnson graduates from interior design school, he must face his father, Lucifer. Dad insists he go into the family business, and when the Devil insists, there’s no denying him. Question is, can John find a way to open a branch office that matches his design aesthetic?

Birdie Beecham’s traitorous feet seed grass and weeds everywhere she walks. The town—last in a long line of new towns where she and her mother have moved—fears her. They’re convinced she’s not human. When her best (and only) friend tries to help solve the problem, both of them get more than they bargained for. With bonus story "Ever Rose," by Leslie Claire Walker.

If Briar Rose can’t find a suitable prince to kiss her awake in her own ancient time, can she find one in modern-day Central Park? The 13th Faery—who cursed the girl in the first place—lures the right man to Rose’s side. There the Faery discovers that oldest of lessons: You can lead a prince to a princess, but you can’t make him kiss her. With bonus story "The Greening," by Claire Crow.

Thomas awakens beneath a hawthorn tree to the Faery Queen's kiss. He discovers he’s not the first man―or the first Thomas―the queen has taken for a lover. He finds himself dangerously caught between the queen and her king, whose love is strained to the breaking point. Will Thomas survive to return to the human world? With bonus story "Snow for Flowers."

Emma makes her living as a decorator to the dead. Ghosts who refuse to move on live unseen among us, and she helps to make their chosen existence bearable. Her devotion to her calling comes from deep guilt―she raised a son who became a murderer. She wants more than anything to atone for his sins. Until the day one of her son’s victims lures her into a trap.

Stories create the world. They live on your skin. In your bones. Lose your stories? Cease to exist. The world will not remember you. Sally Gold has only one chance to stop that terrible death from happening to everything and everyone she loves: She must take a dangerous road into a parallel world and battle an evil older than time itself.

Smoke salvages companies on the brink of bankruptcy. Lately every job seems cursed by an old man named Ballard with mysterious powers and a hunger for carrion. Ballard wants Smoke dead. Smoke wants to marry the old man's daughter. A twisted love story made for corporate hell. With bonus story "Night Wish."

Tom meets the mysteriously beautiful Rachel at his favorite club. The chemistry feels undeniable. He takes her home, expecting to have a very good time. He absolutely does not expect that making love to Rachel allows her to own him—mind, body, and soul. Or that his seemingly harmless one night stand will become a feverish fairy tale nightmare from which he may never wake.

Nick can’t bring his wife Jess back from the grave. His only chance to mend his and his son’s hearts is to replace her―with another Jess. One who looks just like theirs. A Jess from a parallel world. This new Jess yearns to be what they need. But she’s not now nor has she ever been a wife and a mother. In fact, she’s not what any of them bargained for. With bonus story "Max Velocity."

A singer of songs can make people feel and know. Beautiful things. Things people wished they could un-feel and un-know. But not if the keepers of secrets imprison him. The warden sends for him every day. The warden tells him stories he can never repeat. One day the stories will end and so will he. With bonus story "Treasure."

Megan blames herself for her best friend’s death. She can gain absolution if she saves the life of a king in a world she sees only in dreams. Janek is a guard of Draca in that world, protecting the king on a night ride into haunted Dimwood Forest, where he and Megan come face to face with each other and with the king’s terrible secret. There begins the unraveling of the world.

Becca has lived all her life underground, kept safe from the brutal war on the surface by the magic of the stone men and the mysterious woman who dreams in her crystal coffin. When the woman dreams that Becca must travel topside, she has no choice but to go. Her mission: pluck one special little boy from the jaws of death and bring him back with her. With bonus story "Time and Memory."

Margot Williams makes a deal with a different sort of devil. The mysterious Grim Men get her life before Alzheimer’s steals her mind. In return she’ll have a new life as their messenger crow between the realms of life and death. It’s the perfect solution ― until she discovers that the Grim Men will erase her memory anyway. With bonus story "As the Crow Flies."

Secret Fire Press' favorite authors on Smashwords

Smashwords book reviews by Secret Fire Press

The Taste of Shrimp
on July 06, 2011
A short story about taking a chance on love and the choice between the comfort zone and the unknown. Another good one by Laura Ware, with deep feelings running under the surface--just like the untamed Oregon coast that serves as a backdrop for this heart-filled romance.

Chasing the Minotaur
on Sep. 09, 2011
In Chasing the Minotaur, Terry Hayman has crafted an emotional powerhouse of a story.
After the loss of his wife and the estrangement of his relationship with his daughter, renowned and reclusive painter Emery Lake's journey takes him across an ocean to a countryside steeped in mystery and magic. What he finds there makes him wonder about his sanity. The carefully closed life he has built for himself falls apart. His survival--and his daughter's--depends on finding strength and determination he doesn't think he's got.
This is a story about the difficulty of finding oneself and the will to live again after unimaginable loss. It's also a book about the many shades of love and depths of the soul, and art's ability to incite passion and wonder in the world. A wonderful read.

Afterburn
on Jan. 26, 2012
(no rating)
Karen Abrahamson's Afterburn is a grab-you-by-the-collar, won't-let-go urban fantasy with a compelling heroine in Vallon Drake. She does what she believes to be right no matter the consequences.
Vallon's agency polices the changes caused by "Gifted" with the ability to reshape the world. With agents dying and a battle shaping up between her agency and Homeland Security, Vallon must solve the mystery of a new force more powerful than anyone has encountered to save her friends, her love, herself, and hundreds of thousands of innocents.
Rich with original magic and a gritty, well-drawn world, and spiced with mystery, suspense, and sexy romance, Afterburn is a hell of a read.
Looking forward to the next Vallon Drake book!

Afterburn
on Jan. 26, 2012
Karen Abrahamson's Afterburn is a grab-you-by-the-collar, won't-let-go urban fantasy with a compelling heroine in Vallon Drake. She does what she believes to be right no matter the consequences.
Vallon's agency polices the changes caused by "Gifted" with the ability to reshape the world. With agents dying and a battle shaping up between her agency and Homeland Security, Vallon must solve the mystery of a new force more powerful than anyone has encountered to save her friends, her love, herself, and hundreds of thousands of innocents.
Rich with original magic and a gritty, well-drawn world, and spiced with mystery, suspense, and sexy romance, Afterburn is a hell of a read.
Looking forward to the next Vallon Drake book!